Advanced nurses must ‘wear their title with pride’, urges RCN chief

Advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) have been urged to ‘be proud’ of their qualifications, expertise and years of experience by the chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

Professor Nicola Ranger made the plea to the profession during a keynote address at this year’s RCN Congress in Liverpool.

Her comments follow concerns raised by the British Medical Association (BMA) around what they describe as ‘doctor substitution’ and its suggestion that advanced practitioner roles – including nurses – pose a risk to patient safety.

The RCN has made clear in its response in recent weeks that ANPs are ‘not replacements for doctors’ and are ‘highly-skilled experts in their own right’.

And today, the RCN chief executive and general secretary reiterated how ‘angry’ she was at comments made by the BMA.

‘We are clear in this hall: you never elevate one profession by bringing down another,’ said Professor Ranger.

She added: ‘In this debate, we must put the patient at the centre.

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‘Not protectionism by any profession.

‘Patients and the public are more worried about their health, their systems than ever.

‘And what do they need to feel safe? Professions working together.’

She appealed to those working in advanced roles to be ‘proud of your title’ and their experience.

‘If you are in an advanced role, in any setting – be proud of your qualifications, your nursing expertise, and your years of experience. This college is beside you and behind you,’ said Professor Ranger.

‘But be proud of your title too. You are not just advanced clinical practitioners, you are advanced nurse practitioners.

‘Wear your nursing title with pride, in any job you do.’

In recent months the BMA has been raising concerns around ‘doctor substitution’ and has been seeking views from its members on what it says is ‘unhelpful and inappropriate blurring of the distinction between doctors and non-medically qualified staff’.

Earlier this month, the BMA issued results from its survey of 5,000 doctors which saw 71% report that advanced practitioners are occasionally or frequently ‘doing work only doctors should do’ and 81% said the way advanced practitioners currently work ‘is a risk to patient safety’.

The RCN and chief nursing officer for England both hit back at the claims, again expressing disappointment with the BMA.

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Professor Ranger also discussed the issue at Nursing in Practice’s London event in April, at which she vowed to ensure that advanced practice nursing is not ‘undervalued and diminished’.

‘Vital and critical’ role of GPNs

During today’s keynote at RCN Congress, Professor Ranger also spotlighted the ‘vital and critical’ role of general practice nurses (GPNs), health visitors, school nurses and other community nurses in the government’s prevention agenda.

And she stressed the need to ensure all nursing staff ‘at every point in their career’ are ‘valued and properly rewarded’.

According to the RCN chief, it appears the government is ‘finally recognising the impact that community nursing has on the health of the population’.

‘They are placing it at the forefront of their plans to shape the future of health and care services,’ she said.

‘We will back the move to shift care from hospitals to the community but the current pressure is immense.

‘These specialist, safety-critical nurses have seen their number collapse over the last decade.

‘Those colleagues cannot lead the shift without significant investment and infrastructure.’

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Professor Ranger highlighted the need for children’s health to be ‘right at the heart of plans for public health’ and the role of nurses in helping this agenda.

‘Health visitors, general practice nurses, school nurses and other community nurses are so vital and critical for giving babies, children and young people the best start in life,’ she said.

‘The choice for governments is simple: invest in prevention or store up problems for later in life.’